Great opportunity to reassess our goals in life
THE current crisis allows us all an opportunity to reassess our goals in life - and perhaps the best way of moving forward is to undertake further education.
Whether you are someone just out of secondary education, or someone a little bit older wishing to move into a different area of expertise, there is something for everyone with all interests catered for across the Irish educational system.
The diversity and quality of courses available in Ireland continues to increase year-onyear and the ways in which we can learn has also become much different to years gone by.
There are a number of bodies with the ability to award or validate qualifications. Whether you go to a University or Institute of Technology, or undertake a course with a training provider, you can find a way that best suits your needs and area of interest by taking a look at the various providers.
While the aforementioned University or Institute of Technology route is most popular, there are several other avenues of earning a qualification.
It could be through a course with the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) or the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC). Locally, the Sligo College of Further Education has become a useful and popular avenue for many people to progress their skills and qualifications across a variety of sectors.
Learning does not have to be something you do exclusively - with many courses, you can do it alongside your current job. The wonders of modern technology have ensured that it is no longer the case that you physically need to be in a lecture of or a practical suite, but you can complete your study and coursework from your own home, and often in your own time.
This level of accessibility to education is likely to only be furthered and accelerated due to the current Covid-19 pandemic which has forced many people to work from home on a more regular basis.
It is often easier to start with what you know you would not like to do. For some they know they do not want to work with the sick, in an office, or in a laboratory.
Do you enjoy constructing technic Lego sets or setting up skating obstacle courses, are you interested in the environment and the future of our planet, do you care about your health and what food you put into your body, are you interested in caring for people, do you want to change the world? Think about what it is that you are passionate about and find courses to match.
Attend the many virtual events that are taking place at the moment, visit college websites and study prospectuses to investigate the detail each course will cover. Get in touch with the college to find out more.
Try not to follow the crowd just for the sake of it. Trust your instinct and choose a course that you are genuinely interested in and are keen to learn more about. Be sure to list your CAO preferences in order of what it is you want to do, not by points.
Some third level colleges are offering more flexible options where you do not have to choose your speciality until further into your study. This allows students to try out the various aspects of career options before committing.
IT Sligo for example offer a number of flexible level 8 options where there is a common first year across computing, engineering and science. Students can study common modules and get the opportunity to find out more about the various routes they can take in year 2. In business you can choose your speciality in your final year. A new interior architecture and design course even allows you to try out other creative disciplines in IT Sligo during a sandwich year option. To find out more, visit www.itsligo.ie